Governor Larry Hogan signed the Waste Reduction and Resource Recovery Plan Executive Order
on June 27 indicating that he hopes to put Maryland on the fast track to
enhanced sustainable materials management and beneficial reuse while
rescinding the Zero Waste Plan for Maryland Executive Order of January
2015.

“We support zero waste but not zero collaboration,” Maryland
Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles said. “This new Executive Order lays
out a path for even better results and a greater emphasis on sustainable
materials management and beneficial reuse. That means aggressive but
achievable goals by coordinating with local decision-makers, businesses,
and environmental stakeholders — rethinking our approach so we can turn
waste into wealth and boost our recycling rates like never before.”

Hogan’s executive order contains five new actions with the
Department of the Environment that are intended to improve resource recovery:

A technical partnership with Department of Commerce to help establish new recycling businesses in Maryland;

A partnership with Department of Agriculture to provide research and
demonstration of innovative nutrient recovery technologies to
facilitate adoption of these technologies;

A partnership with the Maryland Energy Administration to research
and promote adoption of energy recovery technologies, such as anaerobic
digestion;

A partnership with the Department of Transportation to provide
guidance which will increase the reuse of dredged materials, including
by State agencies; and

Outreach partnerships with stakeholders to increase awareness of the benefits of and opportunities for waste diversion.